Common Sense Media Review
By Brian Costello
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Sequel with amateur acting, weak story, much MMA violence.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 16+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Never Back Down 2: The Beatdown
What's the Story?
In NEVER BACK DOWN 2: THE BEATDOWN, Mike has been kicked off the wrestling team after beating up a rival and his coach: The rival had joked about Mike's dad coming out as gay. Zack is a boxer who has been told that after getting beaten up during his last match, he has a detached retina -- and if he keeps fighting, he'll go blind. While going to school, Tim works full-time trying to help his mother -- who has now taken work in a strip club -- to keep their house after his father died. And Justin has a bad MySpace emo haircut and works in a comic book store, thus making him the target of bullies in the neighborhood. When Mike starts college, he meets Max, who is trying to organize and promote an MMA "Beatdown" event. Max encourages Mike and Zack to find the best trainer around, Case Walker, who teaches mixed martial arts in a vacant lot. Case is a tough-as-nails trainer who will need at least one montage to get these four guys in MMA-fighting shape. But Case has issues of his own, to say nothing of the in-fighting between the four trainees, and as the night of the "Beatdown" looms ever closer, each fighter must come to grips with his weaknesses as well as his strengths as they all prepare to settle their disagreements once and for all inside the cage.
Is It Any Good?
If only the actors in this sequel had spent a little less time in the gym and more time in the Drama Club. If only the filmmakers spent less time on the fight scenes and more on the fundamentals of scriptwriting, character development, and conflict. If only the production values were less amateurish. Then maybe Never Back Down 2: The Beatdown could have been something entertaining for those who aren't superfans of MMA. But even then, probably not. Aside from the demographic fond of saying, "'Sup, brah?" in a nonironic fashion, it's hard to imagine anyone else seeing this as anything more than cheesy B movie fare.
While the dyed-black emo haircut of one of the characters is certainly dated, what's even more dated is the overall attitudes everyone has over the fact that the father of one of the lead characters has come out as gay after leaving his family. While the movie attempts to show that Mike isn't mad that his father is gay -- rather, he's mad that he left his family -- it's clear throughout that Mike is triggered by the shame he feels that his father is gay. This is one of at least five secondary stories that never really gets resolved. This won't matter to those who just want to see a lot of mixed martial arts, but it does severely limit any interest in this movie beyond those who are already fans of MMA.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about sports movies. How does Never Back Down 2: The Beatdown compare to other sports movies?
How does this movie address the issue of a father coming out as gay?
Was the violence necessary for this movie, or did it seem like a gratuitous gimmick to keep the audience entertained?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : September 13, 2011
- Cast : Todd Duffee , Scottie Epstein , Dean Geyer
- Director : Michael White
- Studio : Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
- Genre : Action/Adventure
- Run time : 104 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : August 5, 2022
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate